Positive Parenting Curriculum Developer (Lebanon) – Consultant

Background of the project

In Lebanon, the IRC implements Education, Economic Recovery and Development, Health, and Protection Programs. One of the IRC’s Child Protection core objectives is to strengthen the national child protection system to provide a quality response to children and families facing protection issues, whether in times of crisis or stable conditions.

Children dealing with complex emotional and social problems due to abuse, neglect, or exploitation, often face multifaceted challenges that contribute to negative behaviors, increasing their risk of conflict with authority figures and the law.

Families and caregivers of children who are in contact or in-conflict with the law need support to effectively understand and support their children through specialized parenting interventions adapted to their specific needs.

IRC is seeking a Child Protection consultant with expertise in tailored strategies aimed at fostering a supportive and constructive family environment. This includes promoting healthy behaviors and im- proved communication between caregivers, siblings, and children who are in contact or in conflict with the law, with a focus on positive reinforcement, emotional support, and consistent, empathetic discipline practices.

The consultant will work on adapting IRC’s Families Make a Difference Curriculum, ensuring it is grounded in evidence-based best practices and is adaptable to diverse situations. Additionally, the consultant will train IRC and IRC partners’ case workers and facilitators to effectively implement the curriculum, monitor progress, and make necessary adaptations based on feedback and evolving needs.

Scope of work

Under the supervision of the Child Protection Coordinator and in collaboration with the Access to Justice Program Manager, the consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Establish a clear understanding of parenting trends and practices of caregivers before their children come into contact with or become in conflict with the law.
• Identify the challenges faced by children and the impact of their caregivers’ parenting practices on their wellbeing and behaviors.
• Identify external factors that hinder effective parenting and gather examples of successful parenting programs or interventions that have positively impacted families dealing with children who are in contact or in conflict with the law.
• Explore how different parenting styles affect children’s behavior and involvement with the law and identify effective practices.
• Recognize cultural factors that influence parenting practices and perceptions of children in conflict with the law.
• Identify successful communication techniques used by parents in navigating difficult conversations with their children about their behavior and the law
• Conduct a desk review of IRC and Child Protection sector data on caregivers for children in contact and conflict with the law, including relevant resources and reports.
• Understand the challenges in dealing with children in conflict with the law through focused group discussion with the children and caregivers.
• Review IRC’s Families Make a Different Curriculum used for positive parenting support, make necessary adaptations, and develop at least five specialized sessions to meet the particular needs of children who are in conflict and in contact with the law. This will include meetings with the CP Manager, CP Coordinator, CP Case Management Officer, partner staff, and government staff working in prison and detention centers, as well as mandated NGOs by the Ministry of Justice.
• Review as well the Self Help Plus (SH+) and PM+.
• Develop a training module for this curriculum, including templates and forms, visual guides, and recommendations for best practices to be used by the case workers, the facilitators, and the MEAL teams.
• Develop a facilitator guide that provides facilitators with step-by-step instructions on how to deliver the curriculum effectively, including session plans, key discussion points, and activities aligned with each session along with suggested activities and timing for each session.
• Liaise with IRC Lebanon’s MEAL Advisor to develop the M&E tools to measure the results of the implementation. And to assess whether the desired measurements shall be knowledge improvement or/and well-being based.
• Develop key implementation guidance, tips, and minimum requirements as a reference for staff who will train on this curriculum. Along with a TOR of the facilitator.
• Train IRC trainers on the new curriculum – TOT.

The scope of work for the short-term assignment is composed of two phases:

PHASE 1: January 2025

Assessment

• Clearly describe the methodology used for data collection and analysis to ensure transparency and replicability.
• Explore alternative data analysis methods that could provide additional insights into the needs of the population, thereby informing programming and advocacy priorities
• Conduct a comprehensive review of IRC’s Families Make a Difference Curriculum, relevant
• reports, and existing data on children in contact and conflict with the law
• Perform a detailed analysis of the collected data in coordination with the IRC CP Coordinator, MEAL Advisor, and Senior MEAL Officer to identify key outcomes and trends.
• Draft a final assessment report with actionable recommendations, highlighting opportunities for an integrated approach with other programs and potential collaboration with the government of Lebanon.
• Consult and share the assessment findings with the CP Coordinator, CP TA, MEAL Advisor, and Senior M&E Officer for feedback and validation upon completion.

PHASE 2: February 2025 March 2025

Adapting the current Family Makes a Difference – Positive Parenting Curriculum.

Incorporate Feedback: Integrate relevant feedback from the IRC team and partners into the Families Make a Difference (FMD) curriculum. This includes adding at least five additional sessions to finalize the draft curriculum for translation.

Compile References: Gather and include all references related to the curriculum to ensure comprehensive documentation.

Develop Implementation Guidance: Create key implementation guidance, tips, and minimum requirements as a reference for staff who will train on this curriculum.

Create Training Tools: Develop relevant training tools based on the amendments to the curriculum and feedback from the team.

Train Staff: Conduct training sessions for IRC and partner staff on the updated curriculum.

Observation and Evaluation: Observe the implementation of the sessions and conduct an evaluation/validation workshop to assess the effectiveness of the curriculum, gather feedback, and pro- pose recommendations.

Deliverables:

The consultant short-term staff member will be responsible for the following deliverables:

1. Provide a report on assessment findings from primary and secondary data collected.
2. Develop specialized positive parenting sessions tailored for caregivers of children who are in conflict or in-contact with the law.
3. Create training tools for the adapted curriculum.
4. Conduct training sessions for the IRC and partner child protection front liners.
5. Attend several implementation sessions to inform of any necessary changes for optimum results of the curriculum.
6. Develop key implementation guidance, tips, and minimum requirements as a reference for staff who will train on this curriculum.
7. Ensure all materials developed are original. If information from existing resources is integrated into the curriculum, obtain permission from the source and provide clear attribution and credit.

Tasks:

1. Conduct key informant interviews with key IRC staff from the child protection team, and with the access to justice stake- holders that will be determined by the CPteam. (Estimated days: 2 / Time Frame: January 2025)
2. Review IRC’s “Families Make a Difference” including SH+ and PM+, and conduct a desk review of the current IRC data on children in contact and conflict with the law. (Estimated days: 2 / January 2025)
3. Compile data from the key informant interviews and desk review and draft a report with recommendations (Estimated days: 1 / Time Frame: January 2025)
4. Develop specialized parenting sessions tailored for caregivers of children who are in conflict or in contact with the law. (Estimated days: 12 / Time Frame: February-March 2025)
5. Develop a training Module including templates and forms, visual guides, and recommendations for best practices to be used by the case workers, the facilitators, and the MEAL teams.
6. Develop a Facilitator Guide, A profession- ally designed and user-friendly guide that equips facilitators to deliver the curriculum effectively, including session plans, interactive activities, and practical tools. (For 5/6 – Estimated days: 4 / Time Frame: February-March 2025)
7. Develop the M&E tools to measure the results of the implementation. And to assess whether the desired measurements shall be knowledge improvement or/and well-being based. (Estimated days: 1 / Time Frame: February-March 2025)
8. Develop key implementation guidance, tips, and minimum requirements as a reference for staff who will train on this curriculum. Along with a TOR of the facilitator. (Estimated days: 1 / Time Frame: February-March 2025)
9. Conduct training on the curriculum to IRC and partner frontliners and TOT. (Estimate days: 7 days (1 day for prep and 6 days for the training) / Time Frame: February-March 2025)
10. Monitoring of the sessions and providing recommendations based on their observations. (Estimated days: 2 / Time Frame: February-March 2025)
11. Conduct a validation Workshop following observation sessions (Estimated days: 1 / Time Frame: February-March 2025).
12. Wrap up and develop a brief implementation guide, tips, and final training package. (Estimated days: 1 / Time Frame: February-March 2025).

Qualifications

Job Requirements:

Education:

The qualified candidate must have an advanced university degree in Mental Health, Psychology, Social Work, or closely related fields.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible, relevant professional experience in criminal and/or child abuse or child protection programs.
• Previous experience in developing and delivering training on child abuse
• Experience supporting children with challenging behaviors and at a high-risk level.
• Knowledge of and experience in using established inter-agency standards and guidelines in child protection, such as the IASC Guidelines for Child Protection in Emergency Settings and CPMS.
• Thorough understanding of international standards and best practices in CPiE response and working with children with mental health needs as well as working with their caregivers, communities, and service providers.
• Knowledge of the MHPSS Minimum Service Package is an asset.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Proven ability to analyze, assess, and summarize study findings, observations, and recommendations quickly and accurately.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, respect, non-discrimination, and safety of beneficiaries at all times.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to develop consistent and acceptable reports and recommendations.
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills, creativity, and flexibility.
• Ability to work autonomously, take initiative, and responsibly escalate issues.
• Excellent coaching skills, including the capacity to provide structured feedback.
• Ability to adhere to ethical considerations and principles regarding working with vulnerable populations.

Language Skills:

• Ability to communicate and write clearly in English is desirable.
• Ability to communicate, read, and write Arabic is additional.

Working Environment***:*** The consultant will not have dedicated office space at IRC but will have access to IRC premises to meet with relevant staff, when and as relevant (to conduct the training in phase)